This Blogging Bubble That We Live In

“You’re the only person I know who blogs,” said my sister on the phone the other day. She reads one or two blogs regularly and, with one being mine, she’s not making claims to being the biggest blog reader out there. But her statement got me thinking. Apart from the blogging community that I would say I’m in, I also don’t know anyone else who blogs. No one at the school. No one in my friendship group. No one that I’ve bumped into at the hairdressers or beauty salon (I know, I’m high maintenance). No one that my husband knows.

I guess, as a blogger, you just expect that everyone must know bloggers. Isn’t everyone blogging? It certainly feels like they are. The community is bustling, overflowing, clambering over, even. Infiltrating all aspects of our lives. Seeping out of our pores. We dream in blog post titles. Every scene we experience, we assess in terms of writability or Instagram worthiness. We chat to other bloggers all hours of the day and night. We meet up with bloggers. We chat blogging. We soak it up in its entirety. Sat at our laptops tapping away, prettifying our sites, wanting for nothing other than for feelings, emotions, to be poured into our words. So, with this in mind, how can we not know other bloggers in our community? It doesn’t stack up for us. We have become so all-consumed in the world of blogging. Surely, everyone blogs! Have we lost sight of reality?

Jill Walker Rettberg, professor of digital culture at the University of Bergen, did some research into the question of how many people blog and in a roundabout way summed up that most people don’t blog. This made me smile. Shock, horror, bloggers! We are in the minority. Would you believe it?

But to find an actual figure was not easy. According to Hosting Facts (2016), there are 2.7 million blog posts published every day. WordPress is responsible for 76.5 million blogs. The numbers are high. But when compared with the world population, Jill Walker Rettberg makes an excellent point. Most people really don’t blog.

I guess the point of this post, being a little tongue in cheek if you hadn’t already picked up on that (!), is to maybe sometimes, close the laptop, go out in the world around you without constantly considering it from a blogging perspective, an Instagram post. Live the moment more. Mix with people who don’t blog (yes they really do exist), get another perspective on life. Having been blogging a relatively short time, I get how consuming it is. How the reality of life gets warped. It’s so easy to do. But there’s a world out there that needs to be lived without constant documentation. I’m not talking about a blogging detox or a break from social media. I’m talking about an everyday balance. Make blogging part of our days. Not our entire days.

OK, for those who blog for a living this post probably doesn’t apply to you, but there are many of us who aren’t blogging for a living. However, the reality of the world away from blogging still needs to be appreciated by all, I guess.

Don’t get me wrong, I adore blogging and the people I have ‘met.’ But, I’m guilty of immersing myself perhaps too much into blogging. But having been pushed recently to wonder whether I still want to blog, my sister raised a valid question. It popped blogging into perspective for me. I teach the piano but I don’t think everyone plays. We ski as a family but I don’t think everyone skis. I blog but, actually, not everyone does. I’m off for coffee now in that huge non-blogging world. Fancy that … just saying!

Hi, a great read. When you getting the blog bug you forget about others who have no interest in it. It just becomes part of your everyday life that fits in somehow. I like you summary comparing it other things in life like skiing, playing the piano of enjoying coffee. I had not thought of it this way before #bloggerclubuk

You’re so right! I sometimes think of packing in the blog (usually when I’m having technical problems like I am now) but then I think, “But…what would I do with my free time? How would I express my creativity? What do other people do?” I genuinely don’t know. Maybe it’s about time I took some time to find out. #FamilyFun

You’re right, it is a way to express creativity. Everyone has their different ways of doing things. It just makes me smile that it feels that everyone must be blogging and they aren’t – not anywhere near it! It’s refreshing to go back out into that real world, look up from your phone and chat with friends xx

I love this so much and get your point entirely! Sometimes I get so lost in “Oh that’d make a good blog pic” then realise I should just embrace the actual moment! Fab post as always lovely xx #bloggerclubuk

Oh thank you so much, Fi, so kind of you to say. Ha ha I hear you about the constant​ thinking that would make a good shot etc. There just needs to be a balance doesn’t there. More for me though is that when you’re blogging you really do think everyone is! They aren’t!

Haha I hope you enjoyed your coffee out there in that alternate universal you speak of. Jokes aside I hear ya, I am guilt of delving too deeply sometimes and do often take a reality check. I try to have a balance so that there are days, or rather evenings in my week that are not in front of the laptop. Balance is certainly needed and that’s true for pretty much most things we do! Thanks for joining us at #familyfun

Such a good post!! I only know one person who blogs and she only started after i told her about how much I was loving it and how much I was learning. In fact I don’t even know if she’s still doing it as I haven’t seen it pushed online. I had a hen weekend last weekend and it was so good to just be with my friends. They asked me a bit about it but I also enjoyed taking a break from social media and thinking about it all the time. I know I will have to take a bit of a step back if we have another baby so I’m trying to cut down on things like linkies and social media. it’s hard when you want readers though!! #FamilyFun xx

Susie, thank you for your comment! I think there needs to be a balance. It really can be all-consuming for sure. Don’t miss out on those newborn days because​ of a blog. The blog will still be here as will your readers xx

Really good post, and you’re right, blogging can be a bit all consuming! Where I live in the north of Scotland blogging is still relatively new. I don’t actually ‘know’ (in real life), anyone else doing it. You’re right, it’s a good idea to step back from it now and again – it can so often be at the forefront of your mind x

Oh wow, I LOVE this post. It’s funny how blogging really swallows you up. My best friend is a blogger! Not in this niche, so quite different, but yup a blogger none the less. It’s so easy to get really wrapped up in everything that goes along with blogging. But like everything, there has to be a balance. #BloggerClubUK

Oh thank you so much, Annette. Wow you actually know another blogger! I wish I knew one from another genre as would be good to get a different perspective on things. balance all the time. Thank you for your lovely comment xx

I don’t know anyone who blogs either. I know a youtuber. But no bloggers from my personal life, although I did know one briefly, she was the person who first told me they existed. But she is a book reviewer blogger. I had never read a blog before I started mine, yes I am weird. But I sometimes feel is does overtake my life too much, I question it too. Writing is my passion, and I love my blog, but somedays I could just walk away, or atlas walk away for a couple of weeks. Great post!

It’s crazy isn’t it because the blogging world feels swamped when you’re in it but so sparse when in the real world! The walking away is a regular feeling of mine sometimes too – we never do though do we?!! Thank you for your comment lovely xx

This is a great post and spot on!! I don’t blogging as my job so I’m pretty free as to when I post(generally when the kiddies are in bed) but the other day I thought of taking the kiddies to a place just so I could blog about it!! which is craziness!! I had a month away from blogging in March and I really think you need to stop doing something to realise how much you do, do it!

I think if you don’t blog as a living then this perspective is easier to gain – I completely respect that. You’re so right – the stopping does make you realise how much it has become a part of your life! Thank you so much for your comment xx

Wait, not everyone blogs?!! There’s a world outside of the blogosphere?! Joking aside, though, it is easy to think that everyone else blogs. I do know a couple of other bloggers in the real-life world too but it’s true that bloggers are very much in the minority overall. It is good to switch off and focus on the real world sometimes too 🙂 #coolmumclub

I do wonder sometimes how bloggers are perceived by the rest of the everyday folk, as I’ve been immersed in this world for a couple of years now and having been in it, I don’t know what it’s like to be outside of it looking in anymore? Think I also need a break from the blog – oh, it must be nearly half term! Perfect 😉
Hope all is well with you, and thank you for the reminder…doing it is another thing though eh?!

Another brilliant post my lovely. I have to take a step back at times as I could spend every minute of my spare time blogging! But there is more to life. In fact I have been thinking of stopping. It sometimes feels to me that only other bloggers read my blog, like I am stuck in this bubble. But I think I may be an addict 😉 Great post! 🌟 Thank you for linking up to #ablogginggoodtime 🎉

Oh thank you lovely xx yes, that step back is crucial. Oh Catie really? Do you promote your post on IG? That helps to get some non-blogging readers – not that I have many, mind you! Hmmm need to think about me end goal here instead of drifting. I have one but I’m not moving forward with it. That’s the problem with blogging, you just get side-tracked all the time. Don’t give up lovely xx

Another post of yours that I LOVE Helen. You are so right ‘we dream in blog post titles’ and can really become detached from non-blogging peeps sometimes! Thanks for the reminder – and you even get a little mindfulness in this too when you say about living the moment more. #familyfunlinky P.S. I’m so sorry but I can’t make the 27th. I hope it goes well and look forward to reading a blog post about it (if you decide to document it of course ;-)) xx

I’m an all or nothing kinda person, so I can be known to get a bit wrapped up in what I’m doing (including blogging) I get that it’s about finding a balance, I just find it hard to do, no matter what I’m doing! #coolmumclub

This is so true! I don’t know anyone else in the “real” world who blogs!! And yet considering the number of blogs out there I can’t believe it!! I’ve just read your post after reading Talya’s about how phones can mess you up and I think you’re right, it’s so important to get a big balance of spending some quality time in the real world in amongst blogging and spending time on our phones! #CoolMumClub xx

I’m learning too that the blogging world can be very all-consuming, if you let it. It really does feel like everyone must be blogging but in reality the vast majority of people aren’t. I don’t think I know anyone in real life who blogs either! #FamilyFunLinky

Well you know my thoughts on this already! Apart from the message of the post which resonates with me big time, I of course love the wordsmithery (is that a word?) ‘we dream in blog title’ ‘instagram worthiness’. Honestly it’s so true. #Instagram and #coolmumclub !

I know what you mean. As a blogger, out social media is full of bloggers and it does fell like literally everyone does it. When I’ve stopped to think about it, before starting blogging myself I only knew one person who had a blog. I guess it depends on your perspective!
Thanks for linking up to #BloggerClubUK 🙂
Debbie

Yes! It feels all-consuming when you’re in it doesn’t it whereas in fact we probably just need to step outside of it for a while to realise that there’s real life out there! Thank you for your comment xx

It’s all about finding some balance, right? I recently took a step back from blogging because real life got in the way (family holidays, relatives visiting, that kind of important stuff), and you know what, it felt great! And followers numbers still went up. What’s not to like? x
#ablogginggoodtime

Just lapped up this post. So interesting! I have only been blogging a matter of months but have lately become quite consumed by it, and truly feel that every other person in the world must be a blogger as I’ve met or found so many!? It’s good to hear that not everyone is a blogger, and also such a good point that it’s important to get perspective and not forget to enjoy the real world without considering it from a blogging angle… I guess blogging can be almost an addiction, as well as a hobby/career!
But as with everything, balance is the key? #blogcrush

You are sooo right! I’m in my 6th month (golly!) of blogging and I don’t know anyone else in the real world that blogs! But I do know that I have met (well chatted to) lots of lovely, lovely people who blog. I am, however, in the blogging bubble where I’m writing furiously and it drives my family mad at times! So yes, I shall be looking up from time to time to reconnect with my friends and family! It’s easy to do though isn’t it?! Right, off to see the new Alien film tonight I think…. the teens choice btw! #marvmondays

Oh six months in – that’s great! It’s a wonderful wonderful hobby and I’m thrilled that I found it. Instagram seems to take up most of my time these days – it’s funny where the blogging takes you! Thank you for your comment. Enjoy the film!!

It’s so easy to forget that not everyone has a blog! My best friend has a crochet blog, and even my mother in law has a poetry blog, so it’s definitely easy to get caught up in the blogging world and lose sight of the fact that it’s all taken over a bit. I’ve had a few days out recently where I’ve consciously decided to step back and not make it about a blog post, and it’s been lovely – really freeing! Not saying I want to do that all the time, but refreshing to do it occasionally. #bigpinklink

Oh wow how lovely to have friends with different genre blogs – I’d love that – a totally different perspective for sure. Oh a break is always lovely but we can’t keep away for long can we?! xx Thank you for reading and for your comment lovely xx

This made me smile as for the first time yesterday I said to my partner ‘oh wait there I just need to take a pic that would make a good subject for a blog’ and he was like ‘really?’ I am new to all this as didnt know this world existed until about 4 months ago and I still have no idea about most of what is going on so i dont really spend much time emersed in the blogging world yet but I can see how it could be addictive to some. Nicky xx #bigpinklink

Oh that’s funny! You’re a blogging convert for sure! It only gets worse (maybe I mean better!). It’s all good fun really but there needs to be perspective and a reminder of real life from time to time – whatever real life is these days! Thank you for your comment x

I’ve never met another blogger either. I also don’t tend to tell people I do it, they don’t seem to understand what the point is if I do! Closing the laptop every now and then is essential though, it can all get a bit too much! #bigpinklink

You make some excellent points(as usual!!) Helen!! I don’t know anyone else in my real life, who has a blog either! But as mine is still anonymous (apart from a tiny handful of people I’ve entrusted the URL to!) it’s easier to keep blogging at arms length, as I don’t have the excuse ‘it’s for the blog/ooh, that would be a great blog post!’ etc, when I’m out with others. And not being a huge fan of social media anyway (maybe blogging was the wrong choice for me?!) I do find that I’m a bit happier and more relaxed not having to think about it constantly! It’s definitely good to think about the world in real terms, and not blogging terms! Xx
#bigpinklink

I think you were sensible to keep your blog private – it means that you don’t feel a foolish thinking about everything in blogging terms because people don’t know. There’s definitely room for stopping and thinking about how the world isn’t lived just through a blogging bubble! Thank you for your lovely comment, as always xx

I don’t know any bloggers in the real world and sometimes I worry that bloggers just blog to each other and it all becomes a bit insular. There’s so much knowledge, wit and entertainment in the blogosphere, we just have to get more non-bloggers to read us!

I’ve got to the point where everytime I see a parent taking a photograph of their child somewhere, I’m thinking, “You must be a blogger!” but, as you say, the odds are that is completely untrue. Blogging is still rather a niche hobby. But I think it’s because my blog is a secret from my friends and family so I just think there must be other closet-bloggers out there too that I know nothing about !

But I totally love the point of this post. It can be draining to constantly be thinking about the next post and feeling the need to snap away at every opportunity. This will be my new mantra – “Make blogging part of our days. Not our entire days.” #blogcrush

Oh this made me smile – they must be a blogger. They must do instagram! I adore your mantra – so so true! Just seen your dm lovely. Of course would love to be part of that post – will get something to you soon xx

This is so true, I get so wrapped up in the blogging world and social media, and sometimes I find myself wondering what the point of it all is. But I love it! I don’t really know anyone else with a blog in the real world, my sister had a blog for a while but then gave it up. I do feel like its a bubble that’s very separate – and hidden – from the rest of my world. #BloggerClubUK

I have had this conversation with blogger friends before following a bad experience they had a a blogging even where they were snubbed by some ‘famous’ parent bloggers. In the grand scheme of things the blogging community is just a little pond, and in the grand scheme of things those very important bloggers really arnt that important. (Saying that it is for the most part a wonderful little community and one I love being a part of).
#ablogginggoodtime

Oh I’m sorry to read that you had a bad experience. I think you have the totally correct perspective here. It is a gorgeous community but it’s a very small part of real life and it should be that too! Thank you for your comment xx

Other than the lovely friends I’ve met through the blogging world I only know one other person who blogs. My closest friends love that I’m a full time blogger as they get to come on theatre trips and all sorts with me, but most other people just roll their eyes when I mention the ‘B’ word. I’ve learnt to go out and enjoy myself without constantly thinking about whether or not everything is ‘instagrammable’ or worthy of a blog post, but it’s bloomin’ hard, dammit! 🙂

I find myself less and less mentioning the B word too – funny isn’t it?! I think there comes a moment as a blogger where you realise that balance is imperative and that really the rest of the world is not blogging and there is a life away from it too! Thank you for your comment xx

Helen I have been meaning to come back and comment on this since last week. This resonates with me so much and it’s great reading all the comments too as it makes me feel normal that I don’t know people that blog either, but I am doing it anonymously so have chosen not to tell people outside of my four walls. I like it like that actually. It leaves a clear line between my two worlds and I can cross over from one to the other quite happily. I am definitely though more anti-social since blogging which I don’t like and I need to get a grip on that as I find myself sometimes saying no to things as I have a post to write, or comments to make which is odd, it’s like my “real” life has been sacrificed a bit, if that makes sense. It is also a bit ironic that the one thing we all chastise our teens for is the one thing we are all guilty of – spending more time online x

Oh my word I’ve just commented to Dawn from Rhyming with Wine the exact comment – us blogegrs spend so much time online but criticise our teens – I need to take heed and I know I need to connect with the real world a little bit more on a daily basis as it is so easy to be lost in the online world for way too many hours sometimes. Thank you so much for your comment xx

Oh I love this!! I also don’t know anyone else in my “real life” that blogs. Well apart from the lovely friends that I’ve met through the blog – like Gemma at Colleys Wobbles. She and I share cake and do play-dates now. Nobody else that I know blogs though or really even understands what blogging is. To me it’s like a secret life and RWW is my alter ego. Luckily my hubby is not a lover of the blogworld so he keeps me in check and he’s the first to pull me up if the blog starts to creep into family life too much. (Although the amount of time I spend online when he isn’t looking is scary!) Thanks for linking up with #DreamTeam hon x

Oh how lovely to have made a blogging friend – I love the idea of that!! Oh my hubby keeps me in check too. What’s really scary is when you have teens and you moan about them being on line all the time but you know you probably spend far more time when they are at school – all the guilt over here for sure!

I have one real life friend who blogs. I tend to find that most people don’t understand blogging. It’s come up in conversation a few times at work but I’m never really sure what to say. I often wonder what people who don’t actually read my blog think I do during my spare time. Really great post #bigpinklink